The Reckoning
(Theme for the battle.) "Every now and then, The Tree of Liberty needs to be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots. I will die as a patriot, and you will die as a tyrant's lapdog. Liberty or death..." - An exchange between Executive Davidius Clarkeson and a group of his assailants. The Reckoning is a period of great strife in the history of the Emperor's Liberators. Formed by the machinations of Tzeentch and a tragic series of misunderstandings, this war would irreversibly change the fate of the Emperor's Liberators and their home planet, Battlement. This one event would pit the Liberators in an unwinnable war against fate itself, and rocked their values to the core. Background The Perfect Crime In the recent past, 3 rogue Astartes of the Emperor's Liberators had overthrown the brutal rule that made the planet of Submission so infamous. Unfortunately, this planet was instrumental to the defense of an entire sector. The rebellion damaged the planet so much that half the sector would fall to a future Chaos invasion, along with Submission itself. The Ordo Hereticus blamed the Liberators and their anti-authoritarian ideals, with a particular Inquisitorial rival finding the perfect justification to censure the entire chapter. Knowing this, Tzeentch devised the perfect scheme to either kill or corrupt the 1776 Astartes of the Emperor's Liberators and over 2 million of their guardsmen allies, the Agents of Liberty. A warband of Word Bearers on Battlement known as the Talban were instructed by Tzeentch to summon demons. The closest force of Liberators that can respond are a force led by Davidius Clarkeson, who deployed from the continent of Mericae and landed in Battlement’s Central East region to do battle. The Liberators and Agents of Liberty mistakenly rushed to defend the Promethium refineries in the region, not knowing the Talban sought a much different objective. The Talban were too powerful to keep under control, and their invasion of real-space was detected by the Grey Knights. The intervention of the Grey Knights would be a poisoned chalice for Battlement. The real issue began when the Grey Knights did their standard purge of civilians and guardsmen to prevent the spread of Chaos. A bewildered Davidius Clarkeson demands the leading Justicar to stop firing on the civilians and their guardsmen allies, the Agents of Liberty. After many impassioned pleas in vain, Clarkeson is convinced that the Grey Knights are traitors and orders his now enraged unit to open fire on them. He never knew who the Grey Knights were or their standard procedures, and he no longer cared. The brutal skirmish lasted 8 days, and 182 Liberators lay dead in exchange for 90 Grey Knights. The rest of the Knights left Battlement, reporting the events to the Inquisition. Gathering Allies and their allies lead a bloody campaign. Credit to MaliusV.]] Assaulting Battlement required a massive force with the proper allies. Markius Zucken convinced his friend Inquisitor Jackson Dorsicus of the Ordo Hereticus to join his crusade. Zucken and Dorsicus recruited 3 million of the Vostroyan Firstborn with great ease. Both Zucken and Jackson Dorsicus were infamous for liberally using Edicts of Obliteration, and their willingness to censor information made them prominent members of the Ordo Redactus. The ornate, carapace armored Vostroyans could either bask in the glory of humbling a traitor astartes chapter or be erased from Imperial history. 5000 Adepta Sororitas would volunteer for the ‘sacred duty’ of purging Battlement and its heretical practices, as per their zealous nature. The Marines Malevolent, Sable Lions, Murdering Sons, Destroyers of Worlds, and Imperious Ravagers were notorious for tearing apart civilian populations tainted by treachery, paying no heed to innocence. Zucken needed only to appeal to their sense of duty, honor, and loyalty for every chapter to send 150 Astartes. The Albus Domus and The Hexagon were made to match the magnificence of their ancient terran counterparts in Merica, while being as fortified as any fortress monastery. Markius Zucken would have to requisition 12 Hellhammers, 1000 Chimeras and Sentinels, 500 Leman Russ Eradicators, and 600 Manticore missile systems. The Sororitas would deploy 500 Immolators and Penitent Engines, such was their way of war. Markius Zucken now had his retribution force, whose men and women were eager to bring forth the Emperor's Wrath. They had no idea that it was actually the wrath of a demon-possessed man with a vendetta. The Reckoning ☀Markius' strike force consisted of an Imperial Navy fleet with 3 regiments of the Vostroyan Firstborn (3 million total), a large contingent of Battle-Sisters from the Order of the Bloody Rose (5,000), and a combined force of 750 Space Marines from the Marines Malevolent, Murdering Sons, Destroyers of Worlds, Imperius Ravagers and Sable Lions. There were also some subordinate Inquisitors and acolytes brought along as part of Markius' personal entourage. Arrival rampage their way through Battlement's cities. Credit to MaliusV.]] The retribution fleet screamed out of the warp with 4 Battleships; 2 Emperor-class and 2 Retribution-class ships. There were 3 Astartes Strike Cruisers, as well as swarms of escorts. Battlement's Astral Force only had 2 Space Platforms that were decently armed, as well as the Battle Barge 'Lady Liberty' and 2 Strike Cruisers. The Space Battle was quick but brutal. A horde of Attack Craft quickly overtook Battlement's home fleet and inflicted heavy damage. Only the defending spacecraft of the Emperor's Liberators were standing, though bloodied. They now had to face down the massive guns of the Imperial Battleships, which quickly crippled a strike cruiser of the Liberators. They could only inflict minor damage against the Inquisitor's forces in exchange before making a hasty retreat. Two Imperial battleships gave chase while the rest of the fleet stayed in orbit, readying their assault. The skies were lit with the explosions of the space battle for hours, but suddenly stopped to the bewilderment of the civilians on-world. The sensors had detected the engagement, but had no real idea of what was about to happen. This inquisitorial strike force immediately launched a massed assault onto Battlement's cities which included drop pod assaults and large scale landings. Many of the Drop-pods smashed into the tallest buildings for maximum chaos and destruction. Countless civilians were brutally killed, with the various space marine chapters and mortal soldiers ensuring maximum casualties and terror. Entire sections of the cities were razed with melta and flame. Civilians and the few mortals with enough courage to even show defiance were pulverized, maimed, stacked up multiple feet and burned, flayed, nailed to walls, and otherwise brutalized beyond comprehension. These civilians died wondering what had warranted such indiscriminate slaughter. Executive Davidius Clarkeson and Benjamin 'Doc' Carsonius looked to the skies and saw burning metal figures crashing into the ground. Clarkeson rushed his forces to the cities to find absolute pandemonium. The streets were awash in blood and body parts. Benjamin Carsonius struggled in vain to mend the wounded civilians sprawled on the ground, for these were wounds brought by the most deadly weapons of the Imperium meant to kill monstrous beings. Carsonius was filled with despair as he ran into countless instances of civilians dying in his arms. Davidius Clarkeson could only ask Benjamin to save whoever looked like they could recover with proper medical care, while sending the bulk of his force to fight off the rampaging Astartes, Sisters, and Guardsmen. The Liberators scaled buildings that hadn't been toppled yet, braving the hectic CQC to save civilians hiding or trapped inside. Streets and alleys choked with smog from the dust and destroyed buildings were host to running firefights between the Astartes chapters and whatever Agents or Fusiliers had night-vision. Entire sections of cities were destroyed, and it was in this rubble that the Agents of Liberty fought desperately to reclaim against the Scintillans and Sisters of Battle. The Agents and Liberators all suffered horrendous casualties, and could not afford to take them. Hard Choices while attempting rescue operations. Credit to MaliusV.]] Davidius Clarkeson and Benjamin Carsonius quickly realized that the invaders were here for the long haul, and the cities could not be retaken. Together with commanders from the Agents of Liberty, they devised a general evacuation plan. Large teams of Liberators and Agents would force their way through into various population centers and areas where enemy resistance was weakest, then form a convoy that led the civilians to relative safety. A larger force that contained the bulk of the Liberators and Agents would create a perimeter that held the civilians brought back by these rescue teams. Once the all the civilians in the surrounding areas were evacuated and brought to this perimeter, everyone would be airlifted or ferried out via armored vehicles to another, larger perimeter a few dozen miles from the Albus Domus and The Hexagon. This process would repeat until the cities were as thoroughly vacated as possible, and this mass of civilians would then march back to the safety of the two capital buildings of Battlement and then underground. In some instances, the initial stages of the evacuations went well. Resistance was relatively light, and the evacuations proceeded smoothly. But it wouldn't be an Inquisitorial assault if the attackers were weak. In an overwhelming majority of areas, the Liberators and Agents were only able to push through into the populated areas after extraordinarily violent engagements. Benjamin Carsonius had to personally lead many of these assaults into the pockets of civilians, and Infiltrators from the Agents of Liberty were struggling to find blind spots they could sneak into. Juggernauts from the Agents had to combine their fire if they wanted to punch through. These lengthy engagements severely reduced the amount of time the civilians had to escape before the Murdering Sons and their bloodthirsty allies reached them. More often than not, the rescue forces were greeted with mangled corpses and Astartes in the middle of their butchery rather than panicked but grateful civilians. Mechanics from the Agents of Liberty would erect temporary defenses around these evacuation zones, and Benjamin Carsonius would lend his medical expertise to many people in these pockets. Eventually, enough civilians were evacuated to the initial perimeter where they'd await another withdrawal to safety. This would repeat for days across the various cities. The Liberators eventually began a long, fighting retreat through each of Battlement's cities. Untold millions of panicked civilians stampeding in their attempts to escape are just behind these astartes and Agents of Liberty. Thunderhawks and other aircraft whisked away the women, children and wounded. Every other civilian was brought to the second defensive line through different vehicles. They were hounded the entire way through enemy airstrikes and orbital bombardments. A rapidly moving armored chase materialized in the plains surrounding the capital buildings. The infantry were fighting to exhaustion trying to run from the pursuing retribution force while holding them back in temporary defensive perimeters. Though the Liberators and Agents of Liberty fought their way to the capital buildings, the price was unimaginable. 82 Liberators and a couple hundred thousand Agents were killed as they bought time for the civilians. But they couldn't buy nearly enough time for said civilians. Only 40% of the 1.7 billion civilians were escorted to safety. Over the course of less than a week, countless people were violently snuffed from existence. The following weeks would only get worse, as a raging Davidius Clarkeson demanded an immediate explanation from the Inquisitor. Ultimatum "What the hell are you talking about?! I never ordered my men to overthrow any Imperial government. Your 'Grey Knights' fired upon my people and the ones protecting them. I was damn well within my rights to respond the way I did!" "FOR THE GOD-EMPEROR'S SAKE! It was YOUR 'holy' books that inspired your men to overthrow Submission's government to begin with! A chapter like yours can't even be trusted to know of the Grey Knights' existence or their sacred duties if you're going to run around preaching and fighting for dangerous values. I offered your friend Executive Jonesson an out. Your men have forced my hand. You will submit to my authority, or suffer the consequences!" - Executive Davidius Clarkeson and Inquisitor Markius Zucken in a heated exchange. Zucken demanded that the chapter go on a 500 year penitent crusade, and forsake the values of their holy books for Inquisition approved replacements. Markius explained that the Liberators had forced his hand after the events on Submission, in addition to engaging the Grey Knights. The Murdering Sons played the screams of tortured captives over loudspeakers to demoralize the defenders and drive home Zucken’s demands. Clarkeson struggled to hide his rage at the audacity of Zucken’s demands. Prior to departing for the parley, Clarkeson ordered his forces to fortify the capital district and secure valuable assets. A day had passed when Zucken felt the negotiations were a ruse, and ordered his retinue to open fire on Davidius Clarkeson. The Liberators had covertly placed Primaris Reivers and Eliminators to ensure Clarkeson fought his way to safety. The Emperor’s Liberators did not negotiate with terrorists... A hurricane of fire and hastily built strongholds greeted Zucken’s attack. His murderous brutality in Mericae’s cities ensured the defenders were possessed by rage. They only wanted to slaughter those who defiled their soil, and no price was too great in closing breaches opened by Terminators and Hellhammers or repulsing enemy formations. The attackers could only advance thanks to sheer numbers and steady bombardments, with many of their ranks being turned to blood-soaked ash by the weaponry of the Albus Domus and its occupants. Just approaching the South Lawn resulted in apocalyptic losses, but the undermanned defenses were slowly whittled down. The people defending The Hexagon and the Albus Domus were soon cut off and surrounded. Clash of Wills "To anyone on this net, be advised: we have a Shattered Nest. I repeat, we have a Shattered Nest! Send whatever you got!" "... Shattered Nest received and authenticated, we'll be there as soon as we can. May the God Emperor help us all..." - Executive Davidius Clarkeson calls for reinforcements to Executive Alexis Jonesson. Clarkeson sent a desperate vox-message to Executives Alexis Jonesson and Tedium Nugentus of the current situation. Combined, they led 1300 Astartes and 1.5 million Agents of Liberty. It would take 2 weeks for them to arrive, time the defenders might not have. Davidius Clarkeson had to hold, and made every soldier under his command hunker down. The Inquisitor’s forces poured into both buildings with pure fury in their veins, killing and burning everything in the way. With their backs to the walls, the Agents and Liberators resisted with all their might. Blood and gore would fill the hallways and stain the walls of their respective buildings. The Sable Lions led the push inside The Hexagon, rampaging their way through every corridor. The Imperious Ravagers used their specialized Lancearii to methodically push the defenders into a corner, where they were subsequently massacred. These hapless defenders were surrounded by steel and marble walls of their own making decades ago. Only 10 Liberators and 2000 Agents escaped and fled to the Albus Domus. The dead defenders were hung up on the walls and nailed to them, with their blood being used to paint messages of doom. The Hexagon had fallen after a week. The attackers then regrouped to storm the Albus Domus itself. The Western Wing was blown open, and the attackers flooded through. Inquisitor Jackson Dorsicus led half of the force against Davidius Clarkeson’s pocket of resistance in the ‘Library of Liberty’, which held the books the Inquisitor deemed heretical. The rest pushed towards the plasma reactors. These were the few areas left in the Albus Domus still out of the Inquisition’s hands, and there were only 160 Liberators and 100,000 Agents left to defend them against 600 Astartes, 3000 Sisters, and 1 million Fusiliers. The plasma reactors were ferociously protected. Narrow corridors filled with booby-traps made for horrific kill-zones. The defenders would use the dead bodies as barricades, their power armored corpses making excellent armored cover. Terminators were the only ones who could force open a breach, but even these were tenuously held as frantic melee combat ensued. Benjamin Carsonius himself would personally lead counter-pushes with his bolter and reductor to force the enemy back. Ambitious Sororitas and Astartes tried and failed to bring the vengeful head apothecary low. If the reactors had fallen to the enemy, they could be overloaded and the entire building would be a smoldering crater. Quest For Knowledge While Clarkeson and his forces struggled to keep the hordes of enemies from burning down the Albus Domus entirely, Markius Zucken had other ideas. He had long been a vocal detractor of the Emperor's Liberators and the Agents of Liberty, and suspected they had something to hide. Discovering everything they were hiding was the only reason he didn’t launch cyclonic torpedoes onto the planet already. Zucken brought with him a personal detachment of Sable Lions, Storm Troopers, Sororitas, many Vostroyans as his entourage. These soldiers would escort Markius Zucken as he forced his way into a classified location below the Albus Domus known as 'Site 51'. Whether it held unsanctioned tests for technology, xeno-tech, live xenos, or other forbidden knowledge, its secrets would be uncovered. A Tzeentchian Demon that secretly possessed Zucken gave him the psychic power to detect the hidden area and dozens of souls below. Battlement’s president, along with Secretive Service bodyguards were there. The Agents of Liberty sent Black Ops and Juggernauts for support. Using melta charges, Zucken managed to blast his way into the area and begin his quest. The Secretive Service, Black Ops, and Juggernauts put up fierce resistance that was expected from Scout Marines. With their president and many secrets behind them, sustained defiance was the only option. Massive firefights raged, unhindered by the choking smoke or growing pile of corpses. The Secretive Service was equipped with Digital Weapons, and could exploit unique angles of attack to great effect. The Black Ops would use their tactics to flank entire enemy groups while the Juggernauts kept entire lanes suppressed with miniguns or quad-barreled rocket launchers. Unfortunately, their power armored foes would not be denied. Astartes and Sororitas quickly overwhelmed the ever-shrinking pockets of resistance. Eventually, there was only the command bunker itself. A few Secretive Service agents presided over the President. Their ammo was gone and were down to krak and frag grenades. After managing to kill a few Sororitas and an encroaching squad of Storm Troopers, there was no ammo. The secret command bunker was suddenly breached with a Melta Bomb, with the Sororitas and Sable Lions taking point. It was a slaughter. The President was quickly subdued and interrogated by Zucken. The rooms were protected by bulkheads thick enough to resist melta charges, and psychically cutting through them would take time. He demanded the codes to unlock the rooms, and his interrogation tactics would be brutal and exacting... Defense of the Library "Coward, heretics, traitors all! You shall meet your end in all haste, you scourge! Pray that the Emperor shows you mercy, for I will not! By the Emperor's beneficient will, I shall smite you and your heretical faith off the face of this Imperium, and-''" "''Are you gonna kill me or lecture me?" - Executive Davidius Clarkeson responds to a challenge by Legatine Advance Dominica Petra. Astartes fighting against an Emperor's Liberator. Credit to Achilles Prime.]] As the battle for Site 51 concluded, Davidius Clarkeson was struggling to hold the Library of Liberty. Most of the Sororitas and Astartes had converged here, knowing the Liberators prioritized the ancient books that shaped their values. Clarkeson sought to heal the wounded, many of whom he’d fought alongside in the Revolution Against the Tau decades ago. But they told him that he was needed outside more than he was in the library. Clarkeson stepped into the battle to rally his troops, and was greeted by enemy fire. Charging Sororitas were incinerated with his combi-melta. A Murdering Son slashed into Clarkeson’s shoulder with a lightning claw, but was in turn pummeled by Clarkeson’s power fist and bolter. Some Imperious Ravagers would impale Clarkeson, but Clarkeson’s Emancipator honor guard would intervene in the nick of time and blast away his assailants. Clarkeson and his forces would fight to stem the tide for over an hour. Jackson Dorsicus was personally leading his forces when he encountered Clarkeson, who had just finished a midair duel with a Sable Lion. He bellowed out a challenge and branded Davidius a heretic, before sending the Astartes sprawling with multiple power-sword strikes. Despite a cut arm, Clarkeson responded with punishing counter-blows from his powerfist, but this was cut short when Dorsicus blasted him with a plasma shot. Although sent flying, Clarkeson’s jump-pack stabilized him and he surged forward, sending bolt shells and melta toward the Inquisitor. With his armor shredded, Jackson swung at Clarkeson and managed to impale his torso. Unfortunately for him, Clarkeson kept Jackson from removing the sword. The retaliatory powerfist smashed his skull and left him dazed. A bolt round to the temple ensured Jackson’s demise. Following this, the Sisters and attacking Astartes were thrown into a sort of unnatural fury that pushed the defenders further back. The attackers quickly breached the great steel doors guarding the Library of Liberty, and had finally cornered the defenders. Though the library had multiple floors and balconies, there was no escaping it. Every bookshelf was protected with small stasis and refractor fields, but they'd be easy prey for the vengeful attackers if the defenders fell. It was in this library that the men and women of Battlement would make their final stand. Their leader, Clarkeson, was gravely wounded by a Sable Lion that impaled one of his hearts. Reinforcements Out in space, Alexis Jonesson and Tedium Nugentus emerged from the warp with the entire chapter fleet and quickly broke the Inquisitor’s blockade through daring boarding actions and lightning strikes. Tedium Nugentus spearheaded the boarding assaults, with his lightning claw and wrist-mounted assault cannon tearing through the defenses. Nugentus and his forces rapidly overwhelmed the enemy crew members, and took them prisoner for the rest of the battle. He and most of his strike force would then use teleporters to reach Battlement. The remaining Liberators and Agents poured onto the surface via drop pod or Thunderhawk directly to The Hexagon and Albus Domus. The best soldiers, including Executive Alexis Jonesson and a squad of Emancipators, were directly teleported to Site 51. It took 12 hours for half of the assaulting forces to retake The Hexagon. The other half immediately rushed into the Albus Domus, hoping they weren't too late. The combined 1300 marines and 1.5 million Agents were in a race against time. Cleansing the Exterior As the Liberators and Agents relieved their beleaguered kin in the buildings, they realized the enemy had blockaded the exterior with armored units and artillery. Most of the vehicles were delayed while in the warp, so it fell to a force of under 200 vehicles to break this blockade. While head techmarine Michael Roweson would personally lead one unit in his Repulsor tank, another equally venerable machine would be employed. The Freeblade Knight Libertatum Primus was a hero in the Revolution Against the Tau as first a mercenary and then a sympathetic ally, and his strength was just as important in this dark time. With 10,000 Juggernauts from the Agents of Liberty as support, the armored force would set out to break the blockade. Though the Sororitas and Vostroyans outside were on high alert, it would do them no favors when they met their attackers. Libertatum Primus electrocuted scores of infantry with his lightning cannon while Michael Roweson would unleash a hurricane of fire that drowned the enemy. He even unleashed xenos weapons he kept as trophies during his Deathwatch service against especially tough positions. Manticore emplacements were quickly overrun, ensuring they’d no longer damage the already burning Albus Domus any further. The enemy response would do severe damage though, as 5 predators and half the Leman Russ tanks deployed were turned to slag by enemy fire. Primus took a tank shell to his leg, while Roweson’s tank was immobilized half a mile short of the Albus Domus. The Repulsor could still fire however, and its retaliation was devastating. Primus would use his Graviton Gun and missile launcher to further wipe out the remaining Sentinel Walkers and clear a path forward. Sororitas patrols and their Immolators would incinerate thousands of Juggernauts, while others were turned into burning meat by Hellhammers. Undeterred by the severe losses, Libertatum Primus turned to face 2 Penitent Engines with his lightning claws. One of them was bisected while the other managed to strike Primus with a chainfist. Before it could cut into essential circuitry, Primus sliced off the Engine’s arm and crushed the occupant with his graviton gun. Unfortunately, another Immolator with Multi-meltas would destroy the Knight’s leg and send him on his back. The remaining Juggernauts quickly rushed to his aid, knowing that Primus was the best chance for Battlement’s finest to endure the fight for mankind’s freedom. The final stand against the vengeful Sororitas and Vostroyans would be immortalized by the Agents of Liberty. The other Inquisitorial vehicles engaged the remaining strike force, trading numerous casualties as they did so. A vast armored battle raged in the North and South lawns of the Albus Domus, with neither side yielding but unable to advance. Final Duel Alexis Jonesson and his men quickly ran into the Inquisitor's forces in Site 51. They found the floor charred with equally brutalized and maimed bodies. Their thermal vision and memory of the floor layout guided their way through until they ran into the underground command bunker itself, as well as the enemy that was occupying it. A massive firefight began which interrupted Markius Zucken's interrogation against the President in the nick of time. The battery of physical and psychic torture was starting to become too much for him to handle alone. Jonesson had his men engage the Inquisitor’s forces while he would end Markius Zucken once and for all. Various projectiles tore apart power armored combatants. Both sides fought like rabid dogs. As the two forces fought it out, Reclusiarch Alexis Jonesson faced his nemesis, Markius Zucken. The two men tore into each other. All their existing hatred for each other would be put behind every strike. Earth shattering blows were thrown that left them bloodied. Jonesson sent a volley of flame and bolter fire against the Inquisitor, which briefly melted away his face. Jonesson stared bewildered as the demon inside the Inquisitor had been revealed. Before he could reveal his discovery, the Inquisitor sent a psychic blast that stunned everyone in the room.The Liberators got up first and pointed their guns at their enemies. All the Inquisitor's forces could do was stare in shock at how they were manipulated. Zucken used various psychic attacks that mauled Jonesson, before trying to strangle him to death. Unwilling to quit, Jonesson swung his crozius into the Inquisitor's hand and chopped it off before slamming it into the Inquisitor's head. The demon regrew Zucken’s hand, and scorched Jonesson with psychic fires. Head Librarian Harrison Houdinium knew those flames anywhere, and he rushed downstairs to douse the flames before sending a psychic lance at the demon. The demon howled in pain as he retaliated with his own powers. The distraction was all Jonesson needed, as he drenched the demon in burning promethium. Although grievously wounded, the demon wouldn’t die. Houdinium summoned psychic lightning in conjunction with holy verses by Jonesson to finally banish the demon. Zucken was devoid of strength and marked with bone-deep wounds. The Inquisitor was back to his true self and his forces requested that Jonesson show restraint. But to Jonesson, the Zucken's true self was pure evil and a representation of the rot that currently plagued the Imperium. He used his combi-flamer and burned Zucken to death. Jonesson and his forces led the Inquisitor's forces out of the Albus Domus. Zucken never managed to uncover the tightly sealed rooms in Site 51, for the President had resisted interrogation. The secrets of the Albus Domus, for now, were safe. . Credit to MaliusV.]]Upstairs, a bloodied Clarkeson roared his defiance at a group of enemy Terminators and Sororitas. For every skull his powerfist crushed, 3 more power armored foes would inflict fresh gashes and cuts. Clarkeson’s 2 remaining Emancipators battled with equal defiance as they were swiftly cut down, with broken power swords or toothless chain swords in hand. In a puddle of his own blood, Clarkeson loaded his last melta canister as he faced his assailants. The glorious last stand was cut short when the enemy was mowed down by an assault cannon. Tedium Negentus had arrived, and cut down the attackers or swiftly forced them to withdraw. He had previously saved the plasma reactors that Carsonius held. Nugentus led multiple squads as they scoured every inch of the Albus Domus, mercilessly slaying anyone who sought to destroy the sacred building. The Eastern and Western Wings were a smoldering heap, but they belonged to the Liberators after an hour of desperate fighting. The Agents and Liberators quickly poured outside of the Albus Domus and Hexagon to find a burning scrapyard. The Sororitas and Inquisitorial Vehicles had fought Libertatum Primus and his men to mutual destruction. The Knight was still on his back, and a shredded Penitent Engine rested on the Knights' mangled chassis. Primus was pinned in place thanks to his destroyed leg. Two heavily wounded Juggernauts from the Agents of Liberty flanked the knight, with bolt pistols in hand. The mass of dead Agents, Sororitas, and Vostroyans gave further evidence of a legendary stand. Leaderless and assailed from all directions, the Censure Fleet left Battlement. Out of the entire Inquisitorial strike force, 43% of them were killed. The Liberators claimed salvage rights to anything that wasn’t gene-seed, as they let the attacking Astartes collect such a vital item. Only 700 of the Emperor’s Liberators and just over a million Agents of Liberty survived the assault. The Star Spangled Fist remained standing over the scorched landscape of Battlement. The planet was sentenced to exterminatus, and its defenders declared renegades. Even worse, Corsairs would increase their activity near Battlement in response to the planet’s weakened state. Tzeentchian and Slaaneshi demons would travel to the planet, trying to subvert the population and its downtrodden protectors. The Blood Gorgons chaos astartes, who emphasize freedom and independence like the Liberators, redoubled their efforts to turn the Liberators against the Imperium. And that’s before mentioning a vengeful Inquisition... Gallery File:Markius Zucken Daemon Sword.jpg|Markius Zucken with his now demon-possessed sword. Videos Category:Campaigns Category:Imperial Campaigns Category:Images Category:Imperium Category:Space Marines Category:CaptMikeP